It is Finished: Good Friday Reflections
“It is finished.”
In reflecting on those three words, I can’t help but put myself in the sandals of those disciples of Jesus that were there at the foot of the cross on the hill of Golgotha on the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem.
And I can’t help but wonder what was going through their minds as they heard Jesus say these words.
Because they, unlike us, thought the story of Jesus was finished.
We here in the year 2024 have the benefit of living on the other side of Easter and the resurrection. But for those disciples there on that Friday, they didn’t know any of that. So when they heard Jesus, as his life ebbed away, say the words “It is finished” - what do you think that they thought that he meant?
That his life was finished and his story of hope and freedom and salvation was over? That their hopes of Him being the Messiah were extinguished and dashed to pieces there on the hillside?
It wouldn’t have made sense. They had followed him for years - day after day after day. Walking with him where he walked, listening to him as he preached, going out in his name and declaring that the Kingdom of God had come near, watching him perform countless miracles.
He seemingly defied sin and death and darkness. And yet here, all of those were crushing down on Him.
He had LOST.
And in thinking about those disciples that day, I’m reminded of a moment several years ago when I was a teenager. Our church tragically lost an entire family one night in a mass murder. And a few days after their deaths, we had a prayer vigil on the street outside their house.
As a 17 year old, it didn’t make sense to me. And it still doesn’t.
I remember asking God “WHY”?!? Was He not good? Was God not loving? Was God not strong enough?
Why did it seem like God had lost and evil had won?
It didn’t make sense.
And for those disciples there that Friday, hearing Jesus say “It is finished” - it wouldn’t have made sense either.
Yes, he had been an unexpected Messiah. He didn’t come declaring power and authority through military might. He taught that they needed to wash each other’s feet and have the faith of a child. In fact, even when - just 5 days previous - he victoriously entered the city of Jerusalem, he did so on a donkey, right? Which the Jewish prophets had declared would happen one day.
But he didn’t come through the main gate - the one that the leaders and the authorities and the rulers and kings would come through. In fact, based on the Gospels, we are told that he came through a gate on the exact opposite side of the city. Through just a regular gate.
Even in moments of seeming victory, he didn’t do it the way that anyone expected.
But hanging here on the cross - it definitely didn’t make sense.
It seemed that God had lost. And that what was finished were their hopes of freedom and new life.
Now again, we have the benefit of Easter. And the words “It is finished” will have new meaning come Sunday.
But today is not Sunday. Today is Friday.
And as much as we might want to rush to the good news of the resurrection. We can’t.
Because, for each of us, we have gone through dark times. Perhaps, you are in life right now.
And in life, we cannot fast forward through the pain and darkness.
We can move forward, however, knowing that Jesus is with us in the times of hardship, pain, and darkness. The painting above is by the artist Makoto Fujimura - and is entitled “The Tears of Jesus.” It is striking and beautiful. And it is a needed reminder that our God is a God who weeps. Who grieves with us. Who has experienced the dark night of the soul when all hope seems lost and evil seems to have the final word.
These words "It is finished” - they don’t make sense. But life doesn’t always make sense.
What we can be reminded of this Good Friday, is that in the darkest of days, in the valley of the shadow of death, our Jesus is there.
It does not always make sense. God does not always make sense to us.
But even in the darkness, Jesus is there with us.
And our God weeps too.
